In the past article, we've discussed the different ways to get rid of skinny legs. And in that article, we've said that Squats is the most effective exercise in building the wheels and why it is considered the king of all leg exercises.

Despite that knowledge, many people still avoid doing Squats for different reasons such as:

Squats are hard

​Squats are only for the legs, and I'm only interested in building the upper body

​Squats are dangerous

​Squats hurt my knees

Aside from the first two weak reasons, which don't require further explanations, the problem lies on the last two reasons. People are afraid of doing Squats because they think that it's dangerous and it will hurt them.

Wrong. And I'm going to tell you in this article why.

Squats And Safety

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In this generation where almost any problems have solutions already, we can be assured that people already took care of the different safety concerns inside the gym. There are machines now, equipment with its own uprights and spotters, and most importantly -- Squat Racks.

When it comes to the safety of the trainee, Squat Rack handles almost anything. This invention was designed and built a long time ago when some genius person discovered the awesomeness the Squats give, and to make the most out of this exercise, he introduced safety without compromising the movement.

So no person can say that he will not do Squats because of the fear that he might get pinned down by the barbell. Point him out to the Squat rack and tell him to shut up.

On the other side of the "safety" coin lies those who wanted to Squat but can't because their knees hurt whenever they do the exercise.

When it comes to knee health, squatting per se is not dangerous... bad squatting is. The reason why the knees are hurting is because of the poor form one does when performing the exercise. You can check the proper way of doing squats here.

So if your knees hurt when doing Squats, check your form first and make adjustments if necessary. If all else fails, it's time to look for another alternative than dropping the exercise itself.

The Rescue Team: Knee Sleeves

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Along with other great inventions that cater to the fitness lifestyle, here are the knee sleeves that came into rescue for even more safety.

Knee sleeves/wraps/bands are made of elastic or neoprene materials that are also typically found in wrist wraps/bands. They are worn commonly by competitive powerlifters, athletes, and bodybuilders because they are designed to give aid and support for heavy lifting.

Knee bands, knee wraps, knee sleeves -- all these have 1 main purpose: to protect your knees from injury when doing heavy lifting such as squats or performing athletic movements that put the knee in a threatening position.

Functions Of The Knee Sleeves

Injury Prevention

First and foremost, the function of a knee sleeve is to prevent knee injury by compressing the knees during any high-impact movement, which helps in increasing blood flow and reducing the pain and swelling in the joint area.

It also helps protect the knee further by limiting the patella movement, provides more lateral stability, and increase the proprioception of the knee joints.

If you frequently engage in physical activities that are stressful to the knees, you can really benefit a lot from using knee sleeves. These are some of the examples of sports and activities that will benefit from the knee sleeves:

Crossfit

​Basketball

​Olympic lifting or Powerlifting

Rugby

Any sports that requires high impact movements such as jumping, sprinting, etc.

Knee supports such as sleeves or wraps can be used to reduce the trauma these movements give to the knees. They will give you a greater peace of mind, too.

Improve Performance

Aside from the fact that it gives you confidence and peace of mind to try heavier weights, it actually does give you a performance boost that will allow you to really live heavier weights. How?

During the downward phase of the squats, the compression of the sleeves will allow for high amounts of elastic energy to be stored. So ones you get to the upward movement, you will get a slight push and you will bounce back from the top position --resulting in heavier and faster squats. This is why bodybuilders, athletes, and powerlifters like wearing them.

On the other hand, I know a couple of guys who already got so dependent on them that they have forgotten how it feels to lift without them. They couldn't perform and couldn't do much without them wearing it. This is the bad side of the coin. We have to remember that the main purpose of wearing knee sleeves is to prevent future injuries, not to become a crutch and an ego booster for aiding us to lift more.

Warm The Legs

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Wearing knee sleeves can really help adding warmth to our legs especially during the cold seasons, when getting the joints warm and lubricated can be hard. This will also help you recover faster after those grueling leg workouts.

You Look Good With Them

Yeah. Wearing them looks cool. It will help you feel good about yourself and give you a slight boost of confidence to push a little further.

Now that we know the benefits of wearing knee sleeves, it is now much easier for us to pick one from the bests out there. Let's look at the 5 best knee sleeves for squats.

Nordic Lifting knee sleeves are non-competition training sleeves that are made from premium quality materials whose aim is to increase performance and prevent injury. It is neither flashy nor fancy. It just gets the job done. It provides just enough compression -- tight enough to provide support while not restricting the movements.

This 7mm thick knee support offers powerful stabilization and support, allowing you to safely maximize your heavy lifting . The support is scientifically proven to be useful for prevention and indications such as strains, wear and tear injuries and soft tissue overload.

With also 7mm thickness that's perfect for support and performance, Thru Fitt knee sleeves are probably one of your best bets when it comes affordability and function. These knee sleeves are made of neoprene, so you can expect comfort and durability in one.

​The neoprene compresses the knee joins and at the same time provides outstanding brace support for the knees. Whether you're lifting or just resting, wearing these ensure good blood flow which will aid in recovery. These sleeves will make you invincible.

Pros

Lightweight design to allow running and other cardiovascular activities

For a person who does lots of heavy squats and other powerlifting moves, these knee sleeves are just about right for you. The knee sleeves come with nylon lining which supports the joints and muscles and at the same time giving them warmth.

​These knee sleeves are quite versatile in terms of function, design, and comfort. It goes well with different activities because of its non-restrictive built. You can do CrossFit, weightlifting, sports, and other lighter activities with these sleeves.

The new Mava knee support sleeves were made to solve all your past frustrations and keep you comfortable. The thing worth mentioning about this product is its maximum stability. It provides the very best support to the knees and legs when doing heavy lifting such as squats and crossfit types.

​Overall, this product does its job and make every workout much enjoyable and pain-free.

Pros

Thick 7mm design to provide the best compression.

Anatomically fit ergonomic design for better stability.

Highly comfortable and efficient, no stiffness.

Built to last, double-stitched for durability.

Designed with high performing athletes in mind.

Variety of colors

Cons

Others find it too tight

Pricey

Additional tips

Knee sleeves are just added protection from injury. What will served as your foundation are the nutrients you're taking every day. Make sure you're having all the vitamins and minerals covered because these will help in the health of your joints, bones, and muscles. For the 5 best multivitamins available in the market, you can check them here.

Also, without adequate protein, strength and muscle gains may come very slow, if it does. So make sure to supplement your daily nutrition and intense workouts with adequate protein.

Conclusion

You can't go wrong with any of these compression sleeves for the knees. Pick one that suits your taste and you're good to go.

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Disclaimer

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